The Gospel

1) The Good – God created things perfectly and said it was good (Gen 1)

2) The Bad – We soiled it by sinning (rebelling) against God (Rom 3:23)

3) The Ugly – The consequences of that is “Hell” (Rom 6:23)

Not the end of the story…

4) The Wonderful – In love, grace, and mercy, God sent His Son to redeem us (John 3:16)

Elaborated Presentation:

In life, there are only two roads to choose from… the road to life (Heaven) and the road to destruction (Hell)

Matt 7:13-14

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Daniel 12:2
2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth [die] will awake: some to everlasting life [Heaven], others to shame and everlasting contempt [Hell].

We have a problem… (There is a bad news!!!)

Everyone is on the road that leads to destruction…

Why is that? Ans. We are law-breakers (sinners).

How can that be? I’m a good person…

Let’s see what God says about that… The 10 commandments are God’s standards – His moral yard stick – a plumb line.

Rom 3:20; 7:7b
…through the law we become conscious of sin. Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law.

Let’s look at the…Ten Commandments
for a moment…

(See if you are innocent or guilty…)

• You shall have no other gods before me
• You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them
• You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God
• Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy
• Honor your father and your mother
• You shall not murder
• You shall not commit adultery
• You shall not steal
• You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor
• You shall not covet

Who has kept the law perfectly?

According to God…

“Sin” is simply missing the mark.

Clarity on 7th and 8th Commandments…

Matt 5:27-29
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (NIV)

Matt 5:21-22a
” You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ 22 “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; (NASU)

God also says…

… just in case we think we are better than someone else…

James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

… this levels the playing field. No one is better than the other in the eyes of God.

If God judged us by the 10 Commandments, would we be innocent or guilty of sin?

According to God…

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

That means…

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God.” Isaiah 59:2

Here’s our problem…

Without exception…

Because of our sins, we are God’s enemies (Rom 5:10)

There are consequences to our sins.

Colossians 3:2525 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality. NASU

Romans 6:23a “23 the wages of sin is death, ….”

So… if we are guilty of sin, where do you think we will end up…

Heaven or Hell? (remember there are only two choices)

Does this concern you?

It should because…

Hell… (is real place)

(1) It is an eternal place (Rev. 20:10)
(2) A place where the unbelieving, the vile, the sexually immoral, liars, and idolaters dwell (Rev. 21:8)
(3) A place without God.
(4) Lots of weeping and agony (Matt. 13:42; 22:13; 25:30)
(5) Burning hot (Matt 13:49)
(6) A place where worm does not die (Mark 9:43-48)

Pretty harsh? Response: The severity of the punishment reveals the seriousness of the crime.

This should bring us to godly sorrow and brokenness. We have sinned against our Creator who is holy and just.

Is there no hope for us?

In light of this bad news…

comes the Gospel.

God’s desire for you is eternal life. He doesn’t want you to go to hell.

The Bible says…

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

But…
God still had to do something about the sin. Why?

Not only is our God — loving, gracious, and merciful. He is also righteous, holy and just. The consequences of sin must be paid.

So…

Out of God’s love, grace, and mercy.

Sent His Son…

To do what?

(1) To give eternal life…

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

(2) To die for our sins…

1 Peter 3:18 18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,

Rom 5:8 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

(3)To redeem and to forgive…

Col 1:13-14 13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. NASU

(4) To makes us righteous

2 Cor 5:21 21 God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

(5) To take away the wrath to come…

1 Thess 1:9b-109b They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

How can Jesus do that?

Jesus is fully God and fully man…

John 1:1-2, 14
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. NASU

And He died for our sins and arose from the dead…

1 Cor 15:3-8
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,

Basically, Jesus has done for us what we could not do for ourselves and has become for us what we could never become ourselves.

So, what must I do to be saved? Ans. We must truly believe… in Christ

John 8:24
24 “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” NASU

… that He is the only way.

John 14:6
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (He is not one of many ways.)

true belief = following (faith)

Genuine faith leads us to… genuine repentance and turning to God…

Acts 26:20
20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.

Repentance is not just feeling sorry for our sins. It is making a 180 degree turn from our self-will and self-righteousness to God’s will and God’s righteousness.

Turning to God…

2 Cor 5:15
15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him [Jesus] who died for them and was raised again.

Following Jesus will cost us everything.

Matt 16:24-27
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Ultimately, salvation is about a …

Relationship

“3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3

Good News!!!

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

As evidence of your sincerity in giving your life to Jesus, you must confess Him publicly through baptism.

“Those who accepted his message were baptized.” Acts 2:41

And… you will want to get to know Him better (Sanctification Process)

Col 2:6-7
6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. NASU